Containers are used to package many different kinds of products. One form of container used in the packaging industry is what is known generically as a “box” and it can be used to hold various products and sometimes other boxes containing products. Some in the packaging industry refer to boxes used to package one or more products as “cartons”. Also in the industry there are containers/boxes that are known by some as “cases”. In this patent document, including the claims, the words “case”, “cases”, “carton”, “cartons” “container” and “containers” are used interchangeably to refer to boxes, cartons, trays and/or cases and the like that can be used to package any type of items including products and other cartons.
Cases come in many different configurations and are made from a wide variety of materials. However, many cases are foldable and are formed from a flattened state (commonly called a carton blank). Cases may be made from an assortment of foldable materials, including but not limited to cardboard, chipboard, paperboard, corrugated fibreboard, other types of corrugated materials, plastic materials, composite materials, and the like and possibly even combinations thereof.
Cases can be used to fulfil an order initiated by a customer for one or more products by obtaining each product from one or more locations in a storage facility such as a warehouse, loading the product(s) into a case, sealing the case, and then shipping the loaded case to a customer.
However, there are many obstacles to providing efficient methods and systems to fulfil customer orders, particularly where it is desirable to be able to fulfil orders for a large number of customers that may each have orders for a wide range of different kinds and/or number of products.
Accordingly, an improved method and system of product fulfillment is desirable.